How to watch Match of the Day online abroad (updated 2019)

Match of the Day, who can deny this is one of the best programmes on TV. In this guide we’re going to show you how you can watch Match of the Day abroad from anywhere in the world.

If you’re into football then Match of the Day is a must watch and if that isn’t enough football round-up for you then Match of the Day 2 has even more football highlights.

The problem with Match of the Day is it isn’t available outside the UK so if you’re away on holiday, an expat or just travelling outside the UK for whatever reason then you can’t directly get your Match of the Day fix.

Thankfully for all you football fans, there is a really simple solution called a VPN and with my recommended provider ExpressVPN you can watch Match of the Day and MOTD 2 from any country in the world.

How to watch Match of the Day online abroad

If you’re like us and tried to watch Match of the Day online while abroad then you’ll no doubt be as disappointed as we were when we saw a huge block screen on BBC iPlayer telling us it wasn’t possible to watch in our location.

As we said in the introduction of this article there is a way around this block called a VPN and it requires no technical expertise. With just a simple click or two you can be watching MOTD from anywhere in the world.

So let’s say for example you’re on holiday in Spain drinking a beer and soaking up the sun. When you connect to the internet your connection lets BBC iPlayer know you’re in Spain. A VPN from a provider such as ExpressVPN lets you disguise your location and appear as if you’re in the UK even though you’re in Spain or anywhere else.

The best news is VPN services are totally legal because their intended purpose is to protect your online privacy.

As a bonus with ExpressVPN there’s also a 30-day money back guarantee so if you can’t get it working you can just get your money back. If you’re abroad for a while then you can also save 49% off their regular price by taking a year subscription which comes with 3-months totally free.

You can watch on a Windows or Mac laptop or desktop and if you already have the BBC iPlayer app installed on your phone or tablet then you’ll also be able to watch on your Android or iOS device.

Where to get a VPN for MOTD

VPN services are everywhere these days as people take a keen interest in protecting their privacy. Just a quick search of Google will throw up thousands of choices.

The problem is like anything some VPN services are good and others are bad. If you get a bad one it’ll be too slow and you won’t be able to stream MOTD without annoying buffering and stuttering playback.

We’ve tested the following three providers and all are suitable for watching MOTD especially in HD quality. However, due to the 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months free on the year package we recommend ExpressVPN.

Just click one of the provider’s names above or the orange link to visit our recommended VPN provider and then continue reading below where we’ll show you how you can use the VPN to watch Match of the Day online abroad.

How to use the VPN to watch MOTD

Now you’ve signed up to a VPN provider you’ll want to know how to use it to watch MOTD anywhere.

If you’re already got BBC iPlayer installed on your Android or iOS device then you can watch on that but if you don’t already have it installed you’ll need to follow these instructions to download outside the UK.

You can download the VPN app from your app store and then just follow the mobile instructions below:

Watch MOTD abroad on your mobile with ExpressVPN

Once connected just launch the BBC iPlayer app and watch MOTD.

To watch on a PC or Mac laptop or desktop you don’t need any special apps, just the VPN software from the provider you signed up to. You can download this from the VPN provider website.

Below we show you the process using ExpressVPN but it’s exactly the same with other providers. All you have to do is download their software, connect to the UK and voila!

How to watch MOTD using ExpressVPN:

Install the software and run it.

Press Choose Location and select United Kingdom.

Press Connect.

Watch MOTD on your computer with ExpressVPN

The ExpressVPN software will now make connection to the UK which in turn disguises your location so you appear as if you are in the UK even though you’re in Spain, France, the US, Canada, Australia or wherever else in the world.

All that is left to do is visit BBC iPlayer and you’ll be able to watch Match of the Day either live or on their catch-up service.

About The Author

Christopher has been using the internet since 1994 and has a keen interest in privacy & security with a particular passion for encouraging VPN use. When not delving into the online world he enjoys globe trotting, breaking a sweat in the gym and photography.